“We are cautiously optimistic that this provides an opportunity for the states to become equal and to update their laws to access surrogacy.

“Surrogacy is a state-based issue and the federal government has said they will acknowledge any state based surrogacy laws,” Irlam said.

The paper makes several recommendations that would benefit same-sex and heterosexual couples.

If the recommendations were successful, both partners in a gay male couple would be recognised as parents of the child.

Currently in Victoria, the non-biological partner in a gay couple is not seen as a legal parent.

“Without the ability for the non-biological parent to adopt as a second parent, gay men who are entering into a surrogacy arrangement will be unable to both be seen as the legal parents of the child,” Irlam said.

“The Victorian Law Reform Commission recommended that adoption would be addressed and the government have not acted upon this.”

Currently, the non-biological parent in a gay male couple has to apply for a parenting order from the Family Court to have any legal parenting rights.

“He can apply for a passport for the child, enrol the child in school and make medical decisions. It’s still not a full parent situation, but it’s the closest thing we have in Victoria.”

Our friends at Gay Dads Victoria are offering a seminar for gay men to learn about becoming biological parents via surrogacy in Australia.

Participants can learn from dads who will share their experiences and answer your questions about this growing opportunity in family-building. According to GDV, the forum is aimed at people just starting to consider surrogacy as an option – and those who have started the surrogacy journey.

Discover:

the typical surrogacy process

how the laws relating to surrogacy work in the U.S., Canada, and India

and how to bring your newborn back to Australia

Gay Dads Australia supports gay men who are planning for parenting, or already parents. The website includes an active discussion list and calendar which keeps members informed of events. Interested men can send emails to the site asking for support and advice.

The Sydney Morning Herald recently informed its readers about the evolution of gay families in Australia. The number of lesbian and gay parents is increasing there and elsewhere – and the families are showing the world we can be outstanding guides and role models for our children.

Herald writer, Louise Hall, tells the story of nine-year-old Qona, a little girl born via artificial insemination. She has two lesbian moms and one gay dad.

ProudParenting.com member – Rodney Cruise, from Gay Dads Australia – told The Herald that lesbians have been raising children for decades in Australia, and gay men actively seeking fatherhood was a relatively new trend. Indeed, more intended dads are using a surrogate outside the country.

“Gay and lesbian people will have children and you can’t stop them,” Cruise said. “What makes a family is love and that’s what people care about – that the kids are loved, happy and well looked after.”

In his first blog post, Proud Parenting member – rodneycruise – introduces his partner Jeff and their son Ethan.

The family lives in Richmond, Victoria – in Australia – and the two fathers run a website called Gay Dads Australia.

GDA is a site that supports gay men who are planning on, or who are already parents. It includes active discussion lists and calendars – to keep members informed of events in and around Victoria and New South Wales.